Smoke rises Monday from an Oasis Petroleum oil well that experienced a blow out and has yet to be capped near White Earth, N.D. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder

Oasis Petroleum works to plug out-of-control North Dakota well

October 20, 2015

Ernest Scheyder | Reuters

WILLISTON, N.D. – Oasis Petroleum Inc resumed efforts on Tuesday to plug an out-of-control North Dakota well that has leaked oil, saltwater and natural gas since a blowout last weekend, hoping to have it plugged by this afternoon, a spokesman said.

More than 67,000 gallons of oil have leaked from the well so far. Law enforcement and federal regulators have closed several roads around the site due to concerns about the effects of leaking gas.

Pumps again began injecting mud and clay into the well, located near a tributary of the Missouri River, at about 8 a.m. local time (1300 GMT). Crews had halted operations overnight out of safety concerns.

The well is located about 15 miles south of White Earth, in Mountrail County, one of the more prolific oil-producing regions in North Dakota.

The Houston-based company was first notified that the well had blown out late on Saturday night when a driver passing by the site heard a loud noise and called the company’s public emergency response phone line.

Shares of Oasis were up 3.6 percent on Tuesday after earlier rising more than 6 percent in line with the broader markets and a jump in crude oil prices.

I can do simple oil field math retired after 50 yrs The article said –‘an out-of-control North Dakota well that has leaked oil, saltwater and natural gas since a blowout’ then claims 67,000 oil-OK- how much salwater ?

It will get to the bay ; I was in the oil business 2o years – there is NO one better than them at Underestimating a spill – guess that why our legislators reduced the production tax – i am not anti oil – they fead my family for years -and still are ..just would like to see good work done – if it’s the wellhead leaking – some one messed up –

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